Michigan State University
No. 26 USC
No. 28 MSU Knocks Off No. 26 USC In Wild Match Friday
4/11/2025 11:49:00 PM | Men's Tennis
Spartans fight back from early deficit to secure victory in highly competitive match against Trojans for thrilling first West Coast B1G showdown of weekend.
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – No. 28 Michigan State men's tennis team notched their fourth upset of the spring season with a hard-fought, 4-3, victory over No. 28 USC on the road Friday night.
After the match was tied 3-3, the outcome came down to the No. 3 singles, where Spartan senior Max Sheldon battled USC's Oscar Weightman in the deciding match-up. In a tightly contested, back-and-forth match, MSU ultimately came out on top as Weightman was forced to retire due to injury, sealing a hard-fought upset for the Spartans.
With the win, the Spartans improve to 14-7 overall and 9-2 in Big Ten play, extending their current winning streak to three matches. Meanwhile, the Trojans drop to 12-8 on the season and 6-4 in Big Ten standings, suffering their third consecutive loss.
Returning to previous weekend's doubles lineup, junior Ozan Baris and freshman Matthew Forbes started out the Spartans at No. 1 doubles, brother duo-senior Max Sheldon and freshman Mitchell Sheldon- slid into spot No. 2. Freshman Vuk Radjenovic and freshman Danial Rakhmatullayev rounded out the pairings for the Green & White.
The Trojans jumped out to an early lead in doubles play, as Connor Church and Oscar Weightman defeated Ma./Mi. Sheldon, 6-4.
USC then secured the doubles point with a win from their top duo, Tristan Bradley and Peter Makk, who topped Baris/Forbes, 6-3.
With the doubles point clinched for USC, the remaining match was left unfinished.
Despite a smaller but spirited contingent of fans in California, the Spartans entered singles play with energy and determination.
USC struck first in singles, with Karl Lee earning a straight-set victory over Radjenovic, 6-1, 6-3.
MSU responded swiftly, Baris put the Spartans on the board with a dominant 6-2, 6-1 win over USC's Nathan Trouve.
Mi. Sheldon continued the momentum for MSU, defeating Matteo Morazzi from USC, 6-3, 6-3, to add another point for the Spartans.
Building on the surge, Forbes delivered a strong performance, taking down Volodymyr Iakubenko from USC, 7-5, 6-3, and giving MSU the lead.
USC evened the score once again with a win from Peter Makk, who defeated Thanos in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3.
With the match tied, all eyes turned to the deciding battle for Ma. Sheldon's match-winning drama.
Up Next:
The Spartans continue their West Coast road trip as they take on No. 32 UCLA on Sunday, April 13 at 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT.
Results
#28 Michigan State 4 (14-7, 9-2 B1G), #26 USC 3 (12-8, 6-4 B1G)
Michigan State vs USC
April 11, 2025 at Los Angeles, Calif.
David X. Marks Tennis Stadium
Doubles:
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Tristan Bradley/Peter Makk (USC) def. Ozan Baris/Matthew Forbes (MSU) 6-3
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Connor Church/Oscar Weightman (USC) def. Max Sheldon/Mitchell Sheldon (MSU) 6-4
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Danial Rakhmatullayev/Vuk Radjenovic (MSU) vs Volodymyr Iakubenko/Nathan Trouve (USC) 5-5 unf.
Singles:
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No. 23 Peter Makk (USC) def. No. 31 Aristotelis Thanos (MSU) 6-2, 6-3
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No. 9 Ozan Baris (MSU) def. Nathan Trouve (USC) 6-2, 6-1
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No. 94 Max Sheldon (MSU) def. Oscar Weightman (USC) 6-3, 2-6, 4-0 (injury withdrawal)
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No. 101 Matthew Forbes (MSU) def. Volodymyr Iakubenko (USC) 7-5, 6-3
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Karl Lee (USC) defeats Vuk Radjenovic (MSU) 6-1, 6-3
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Mitchell Sheldon (MSU) def. Matteo Morazzi (USC) 6-3, 6-3
Order of finish: Doubles: (2, 1) Singles: (5, 2, 6, 4, 1, 3)
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
2,1
#1 Singles Match
#2 Singles Match
#3 Singles Match
#4 Singles Match
#5 Singles Match
#6 Singles Match
Order of Finish:
5,2,6,4,1,3
Players Mentioned
